Method and apparatus for cleaning yarn



May 31, 1927.

L. B. HASBROUCK METHOD AND APPARATU FOR CLEANING YARN Filed April 23. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORPQEY 1927. May L. B. HASBROUCK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING YARN Filed April 23. 1926 2$hets-$heet 2 INVENTOR TORNEY" Patented May 31, 1927.

"LOUIS 1 mama eats;

mass, met or s me .awmaiaesms QR 203a M Q AND g amme gamma YA-RN;

"Thisiinvention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning yarn andaimsto remove impurities, such as parts of seeds, parts of stems, slubs, speaks, and other particles from yarn before the yarn is formed into fabric so that a superior quality of fabric may be produced from comparatiyely inexpensive yarns. v

' to thetravelling yarn that theparticles and .An mpor an f a re of e. ent o .cenisi t in u ing a trave ling ya clean a cleaner, by means of which the yarn has been cleaned. The new method of yarn cleaning incorporating this feature consists in (1,) pp y ng sc per, (565mb, e e cleaning means to a travelling yarn in such relation thereto as to remove particles and some fibrous matter from the yarn, (2)' so changing the relation .ofthe cleaning means fibrous vmatter remaining in the; cleaning means become loosely-reattached to the yarn and are thus drawn away from the cleaning ineans,and (3) removing from the travelling yarn, at a further point in itsltravel, the particles and fibrous In atter. which have been loosely reattached to it. @fllhe new method may beearried out manually by applying the scraperor comb to the vention may best beunderstood'by a detailed description of a ,specific idevi ce embodying the apparatus features of the invention and adapted to carry out thennethod feature of the invention. Such a device is shown the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of alclea ning .unit and lilQZlIlSiOI supporting and operatingrit, sectioned on the line vl 1,of F 2; Fig.2 is plan view of the cleaning unit and associated parts shown-in Fig. 1;

F 3 is an enlarged side elevation of t c ea g un t, s t one 91 l of F 7 extending between the end frames-.- v f Therod' 13 is-7 Fig.4 is a To H me? front elevation o f 'the cleaning unit sectioned on the line ofig; 3'; V

Fig, 5 is an enlarged fsectiononlth e line 55, "of'F 1g. 3,sho'wing the deflector; and V 'F 1g. 6 is'a'n enlargedp rospective vi'ewof one of the blades, sh'owingithe wheel sec;

tioned on the lines 6-6"oflligsi-Bhand-4; The cleaning unit 10 shown in the draw ings, may be one of a' numbe r .lof' such units I OUnted' along the front, of a winding,'-spooling :or other machine into avhich' drawn. One such ,unit may be provided afor each thread drawn into the ;m'achine.' lhe units may conveniently be support ed" on a frame, consisting ofend pieces '-1 1 ;p r c -jecting outwardly f romthe frame of the winding or other machine,' and two rods 12, 13 The rod 12 is fixed with end pieces. reallyva shaft and is journalledffor rotation inleach ofthe end pieces; gThe sha ft 7 13 is slowly rotated in a clockwise direction ('Figs; 1 and 3) by any convenient means. I

Itis usually" desirable to cause suclrrota- 131011 by connecting the shaft 13 witha '"movingpart of the mechanismof the windingor I other machine onwhichthe cleaning apparatus is mounted. v In the arrangement shown in. Figs. 1 and 2, a rocking shaft A of the winding machine bears" an-arm 14 connected by a rod 15 *to afdis'k 16 loosely mounted onithe shaft 135; The disk- 1 6 car ries a spring pressed pawl 17 which causes a slow stepgby-stepfrotation ofth'e shaft'gl by engagement with a rr atchet 18:fi xed 'on the shaft, lt is not essentialthat the" shaft 13 have a step-by-step movement but-the 1 arrangement shown affordsa simple and conyenient method of I rotation v required for operating-the cleaningunits as hereinafter explained.

giving this shaft the slowi The cleaningunit 10,'compr ises a wheel -19, mounted on" the rotary shaft 13," and" non-rotary partsincluding; thread guides 20, 21, 'a guard 22, andadeflector =28 supported 1b ioo i an arm 24: adjustably secured to the fixec rod '12. An additional th-read "guide 25 and a tension device "26 of usual "construction maybe mounted on the arm 24 in frontof thethrejad guide 20'.

The primary cleaning elements' o-f thede vice are a set of blades or teeth 31, project- 19. .111 describing-the blades, Ilshall desing outwardly from the rim "3 2 ofthewheel ignateas, the front surface of each bladfe "blade 31 has a from which "the yarn is travelling. front surface 33, which makes 1 an acute angle with the mm 32, and a .seml

I I that surface which, whenthe blade oper faces in the direction ating upon the yarn,

Each

- cylindrical grooved end surface BAfparallel to the rim 32, and intersecting the frontsurface 33 to form an acute n-curvedsemiclrcular scraping edge 35. The radius of the edge 35 is substantially equal to that of yarn to b'e cleaned, so that the edge surrounds one half the circumference of a yarn vwhich is drawn across it. A pair of guidmg and .deflectlng ears 36 pro ect from the outer end of each blade. The front surfa-ces 37 'of each of these ears are a continuation ofjthe' front surface 33 of the blade,

[while the opposite inner surfaces 38 of. the

4c2and a disk 43, the outer portion'of which 7 forms the side flange ears diverge from'the grooved spectively.

The thread gu surface 3A of the blade, to provide ing slot 39. i

The wheel 19 has side flanges 40, A0,

a guidwhich cooperate with its rim 32 and; the blades 31 in providing pockets Albetween the blades. To facilitate machining and finishing the blades, the wheel 19 is made in two parts. One part includes a hub A0. The blades 31 are formed integral with this part" of the wheel. The second part of the wheel has the'form of an angle ring and provides thecylindrical rim 32 and the side flange I 4:0, which fit closely against the inner'ends and outer, side edges of the blades 31 reandl 21 i are ,positioned on opposite sides of the wheel19,

so that'a yarn drawn under the thread guide 20, and over the thread guide 21, is'brought 'in' contact with the cleaning edges 35 .of

' 'severaho f the blades 31- of 'the" wheel, 19

.sideofthe wheel 19 This blade has flanges the side faces 49 of a projection 50 on the guard 22,;and'conta I for example, with the cleaning edges of the four blades marked 31 111 Fig. 3.

Onthe guard22, which covers the rear and contains a slot is mounted 45 for the" passage of the yarn,

two blades the deflector23, which comprises 46, 46 inclined .to the direction of the travel 'ns a slot 51 embracing a screw 52,- which isscrewed into the projectionj50. lThe-blade is adjusted and held in adjusted position by a tension screw 53 while its head is outer end the yarn forward slowly rotating The inner edges p i at the scraping edge 48 slidedly engaging upon the yarn is and a compression spring 54, which extend between a bracket 55, mounted on" the pro-f 'jection'50, and an upstanding flange 56 at,

The screw has a threaded engagement with jthe flange '56,

held against the bracket the back edge of the bladeJ 55 the spring 54.

The use and operation 'ofthe'yarn cleaner described is asfollowsz-h" a I c The cleaner isthreaded by p'assing the yarn, through thethreadguide 25, the ten sion device 26, then under the thread guide 20, through.the slot 45' in the guard 22,

andbetween the blades 46, 46 .of the deflector 23. This brings the yarn between the deflecting ears 36 of the blades 31f which guide it intocontactwith the scraping edges 35 of the blades.

The winding machine to. which the yarn cleaner is attached I is then. started, drawing and j at the same "time the shaft 13; and wheel 19. The peripheral speed of the wheel. andg it's blades is much less thanthe speed o'fjthe yarn. The tension applied to the yarn by the tension device 26 draws it into close contact with the curvedscraping edges 35" of. the blades 31*, owing to, the fact that the yarn turns inward through 'a small 'angle as it crosses each scraping edge. of the. yarn and drawn closely against the scraping edges cause theyarn to rotate as it crosses the The twist the factthatit is thus in scraping edges, so that each part offthecircumference of the yarn is brought against one oranother of these semi-circular edges.

As the yarn travels across thejscrapin'g edges,

these edges remove from the yarn all specks and other mpurities which adhere "to the yarn or are embedded therein. 'The' particles removed fromthe yarn together with some fibrous matter which necessarily adhered to them are directed by the inclined front surfaces 33 front surfaces 37lof the ears 36, into the of the blades and the A pockets Al in front ofthe scrapingedges.

with which the yarn is incontact- 7 As the pockets are closed except at their tops, the particles and fibrous matterare confined therein. The fibrous matter in each with the yarn crossing the top of the pocket and isconstantly scraped free from the yarn thepocket. It follows that the yarn crossingthe top 'of each pocket causes a rotation. of

the fibrous matter contained therein which forms the 'fibrous matter into a more or less compact bunch or ball, containing all r the particles whichhavebeen removed from the yarn by the scraping edge behind the pocket. 1 p As the wheel 19 slowly rotates, each blade whose scraping edgefhas been operating drawn out of contact with 115. n ocket constantlyitends to become re-entwined 35at'the rear corner of e in Fig. :3)." thisloccurs, the fibrous matter in the pocket 4 1 in 'iront of this blade, .which has con stantly tended. to become re entwined with the yarn, is no longer scra edfrom. the yarn.

Asialresuilt, ithe entire :bunch of .fibrous matter and particles is pulled out of the pocket by the yarn and travels oil With the .yarn.

This leaves the pocket and rztheblade behind it-clean' and ready to operate (on the yarn again When-the rotation of the wheelshall have brought its scraping edge-again into contact with the yarn.

The bunches -offibrous matter and. particles, which have become loosely reattached to the yarmstrike the blades 46, A6 of the deflector 23, and are thereby freed from :the yarn and d 'efiected downward just outside the guard 22. This guard prevents them from-striking the'wheel '19. Consequently, they fall; below the cleaner and may be colle'ct'ed ii-n any convenient suitable receptacle.

7 It is apparent from the above description that the device described carries out automatically the new method ofcleaning which was described at the beginning of thisspecificat'ion. The inethod ofr-the invention is however by no :inea-ns limited to any specific nieohan isn for carrying it into eflect, nor are the apparatus features of the invention limited 'to' the-speci-ficdevice described, ex-

eept in-so far asspecified in theclaims Which follow: vVh-atIclaimis: 1 l

1. Themethod of cleaning yarn, which comprises applying cleaning means to .a travelling yarn'in such relation thereto as :to remove particles and some fibrous matter from the'yarn, so changingth'e relation of the cleaning means :to "the travelling yarn that the yarndraws fromithecleaning means the fibrous matter -and; par tic les collected therein, and removing such fibrous matter and-particles from' the yarn .at a further point-in its travel.

2. The method of cleaning yarn, .Which comprises removing particles and .fibrous matter from -a travelling yarnat one point of its travel, loosely reattaching the matter removed to the yarn-at a further @point in its I travel, and removing the reattached .fmatter yarn at a still further point in its tromthe travel. 7 '3; The method of ,-cleaning yarn, which comprises scraping particles and -.fibrous HWhen ot said scrapingaedge, means 'zforlguiding ia .055. I travellingarnacr'ossthe ,ztop 'ofsaid pocket I p V and transversely across said scraping edge, and -.means afor causing a separating movement between 1 :the scraping. edge f'and the yarn to permit the yarn to. withdrarvttrom .70

the ,pocketthe fibrous matter iand particles collected therein;

5. 'In a yarn With the back Wall of a "pocket inclmed' toward the direction from which the yarn is travelling, and aneansfor .removingthe edge trom the yarn .and tipping 8 a po'cl'ret rearwardly from f. its first position. I

scraping the back wall; of

6. In a yarn cleaner, smeans providing .a

pocket having a scraping edge catathe top w of its back wall, -means' for ipositioningithe 5 scraping edgein contact with .a trax zelling yarn with the-back Wall ofa pocket inclined toward I the direction from which the; yarn is travelling, and means for tipping the (back Wall of a pocket rearwardly fromitsfirst position.

'7. A .yarn cleaner, comprising a'serieswoi providing. apocket in front of each blada means ror guiaing i a travelling fya'rn; across ithe top .oflsaid 95 scraping blades, means pockets and transversely across the; blades,

means for successively"withdrawing. said blades 1 from contact with" the deflector embracing the yarn blades. 5 f l 8. A yarn cleaner, comprising a series of scraping blades, means providing a pocket in tront of: reach blade, Smeans gfor bringingz gzarn, and a & eyond said each blade successively-into {and-lout of. CD11.

tact with altravelling yarn'iso that particles of fibrousmatter. are scrapedirom the :yarn. I by-each blade and ithenw vithdraxvn -zf;r om itspocket by the yarn, and means .forremovin g from ,the yarn :the particlesof withdrawn fromsthe pockets. '9. In a yarnlclea ner, a vvheeh-a plurality of scraping -1blades projecting from the periphery ofisaid Wheel, side flanges rollstlie Wheel cooperating .vvithlsaid blades ,to .pro- J vide pockets between-them, means..'for.gui d'- ing a'travelling yarn across the top of said pockets and acrossthe edges of said Zblades ona :part of the. circumference oiwjthe wheel, 7 means for rotating the Wheel" to causeylts t blades to move in t'hesame.direct onasgthe travelling .yarnabut-atdess speed.

. $10. :In' a yarn cleaner. for eoperating onl a travelling yarn, the combinationof, nieans forming" a pocket having its upper" rear edge in contact with the yarn and its back Wall inclined toward the direction from t which the yarn is travelling, and means-for hanging the relation of'the pocket to the yarn. cleaner, means providing a pocket having ascra-pingedge atthe top goi' its back .Wall,-nieans .tor positioning the. 75. scraping edge in .contact with a travelling ifibrousinatter Qyarn to permit tween them, and means its direction of rotation, side flangesvcoopere atingwith said blades to form pockets be forlguiding a travelling yarn across the topof said pocket andblades in the direction of movement of i the blades and at agreater speed- [outer ends of each I saidblades and ears to providing a" pocket in front j for'positioning said blade with its front surface .inclinedtoward the direc- '12 In a"yarn cleaner comprising a pair ofblades located one behind the other, and having scraping edges at the middles of ears; projecting from the blade atopposite sides ofits scraping edge, and side walls joining provide 'apocket betheir outer ends,

tion from which the yarn is travelling.

. 14:. 'In ayarn cleaner COIIlPl'lSlIlg arotary Wheel, blades projeetingfrom the periphery of the Wheel,each having a scraping edge at the middle of its outer end, diverglng ears proj ecting. from I the outer .end of each bladeiat opposite sides of its scraping edge, and side flanges cooperating with said blades and. them.

15. In a yarn rality of scrap ng cleaner, a Wheel, a plublad'es projecting from I the periphery of said wheel and each hav- .55 V '16. In a yarn'cleaner,

having thelr ends. positloned on a convex v edge at'its end, means ing at its outer end anincurved acute scrap ing edge, side flanges on the wheel cooper ating with the between them, thread guides at opposite sides of the wheel for guidinga travelling yarn across the top of said pockets and across the scrapingedges of said blades on a part of the circumference of the wheel, means for placing the travelling yarn under tension so that it is drawninto close con tact with said's'craping edges, and means for rotating the wheel to cause its blades to move in the same direction as the travelling yarn'butfat less speed. f

a series of blades curve and each having .;a concave scraping for gu dlng a travelling yarn across the the yarn to withdraw 7 blades in succession, ,"and means for placing;

fibrous matter and particles collectedlthere a yarn cleaner, arotary when, a series ofblades 1on7 the, periphery of the i 1 ;wheel inclined rearwardlyxwith respect to semi-circular concave scraping edge,

f said blade,

ears :to form pockets between blades to provide pockets 7 scraping edges of saidscraping edges. I

17. Ina yarn cleaner,la blade having a "the travelling. yarn under. tension "so -that V j it is drawn intojclose contaetwith said grooved end surface and a front surface meeting saidrend surface in, ,an facute vincurved scraping edge,thread'gu1des guiding a travelling yarn across said edge and along, the groove n the end surface and positionedto cause the yarnto' bend inward n crossing said: edge, and means ,for placing the travelinto firm contact with 'saidedge; I

18. In a yarncleaner, a blade having ,a

guides directing a travelling yarn across said edgeand positioned to cause the yarn to bend inward 'as it crosses the edge, and means for placing the travellingyarn unling yarn. under tensionsothat it. is-drawn thread" der tension so that it isdrawn into close contact with said edge.

19. In a yarn cleaner, a wheel, blades 'pro jecting from the periphery of said wheel and each h'avingascraping edge at its outer end, a guard over said wheel containing a slot, mcansfor guiding the yarn passed into i i said, slot into contact with the scraping edges ofthe'blades. v 20. In a yarn cleaner, the-combination with a device cooperating with a travelling yarn to remove, collect and loosely re-cattach particles and fibrous matter, of a pairof blades transverseto the yarn and having; opposed spacededges embracing the yarn tached matter. therefrom,

away fromsaid device. V

21.; A yarn cleaner, compris ng a rotary beyondrsaid device to remove such re-at and .a guard to deflect the 'matter removed by the blades 1 wheel having peripheral blades with *pocle ets between them, rounding said wheel, a pair of fixed blades having spaced inner edges mounted on said means for guiding a travelling guard, and" the ends of the blades at the yarn across upper part said fixed blades.

. 22. In a yarn cleaner, a wheel comprising adisk, blades integral withv said disk pro jecting from one side thereof-and arranged in a circle, lindrical flange ends of the blades and a flatjflangeffitting' against the outer side edges of the blades. I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. i

a guard partially surof the. wheel and then between I and an angle ring having'a ey fitting against the inner Louis B. HASBROUCK. 

